Reluctant Chance
by DarkerShores
Summary: Kendall just moved to Arizona. James has lived there all his life. The two meet and they have one reluctant chance. Will they take it to see where it goes? Or will social stigmas and personal dogmas ruin it all? Definitely AU. Reviews appreciated.
1. Before you fall

**A/N: So. My name is Chris. This is my first story :D. Well, the first that I've published anyway. I write all the time, but I suddenly was inspired to begin this project. I'm not sure exactly how long it's going to last, but I know that I'm going to ATTEMPT (please note: attempt) to update every week. I'm a college student, though, not a miracle worker, so don't expect perfection. Please let me know what you think, either via review, rating, or PMs. I'm happy to receive any and all feedback.**

**Legal matters: I don't own Big Time Rush or any of the various performers within. The name, songs, images, etc. are all property of Nickelodeon/Viacom. I don't intend to make any suggestions as to the sexualities, personalities, etc. of any of the characters within. This is a work of FICTION and thus is FICTIONAL. Again, I don't own any of these characters or anything. They're all copyright of Nickelodeon/Viacom. Also, I do NOT intend to profit from this work. **

**Enjoy. :).**

Kendall Knight stood at the end of the world. He stood at the precipice of humanity's conquest, the line of demarcation between Civilization and Wild. He stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon. It was no easy feat - it had taken several minutes of internal goading and self-directed insults to push himself forward, inch by inch, to the sheer cliff's end. He vaguely recalled some piece of advice given to him about vertigo. _Just...don't look down_, he assured himself. Kendall took a deep, calming breath and studied the horizon before him instead, taking in the stretch of azure sky and creamy white clouds that went on forever. Such a perfect day.

Then he looked down.

The world began to spin as he did so. Even with his suddenly altered vision Kendall could make out the ridges and grooves that lined the canyon's sides, scars left by eons of erosion. At the very bottom of the etched walls was a single string of blue, running like a vein through the gorge's heart. If he weren't so absolutely afraid of dying, he mused morbidly, the sight might have been beautiful. Unfortunately, a crippling fear of heights - or, as Kendall called it, human _fucking_ instinct - had already taken hold. And he was about to die.

_"Kendall, you really could use to get out of the house. All you've been doing since the move is sitting in your room, sulking. Why don't you go see the sights? I'm sure Flagstaff has plenty to offer."_

_Kendall scoffed. "This is Arizona, mom, not Vegas. There's nothing for me to do here. Besides, it's nearly a thousand degrees outside. Unless you intend for me to become a shriveled mass on the sidewalk, I'm not leaving."_

_His mother cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? Aren't you? Well, then. To keep you from getting too bored, I've got a couple of things you can do for me. Sweep and mop the kitchen floor, vacuum the living room, your room, my room, and Katie's room, clean the bathroom, wash -"_

_"_Alright, _alright...I'll just go find a vigilante group to join. Then you'll be sorry."_

_"I'm sure, honey. Now get out - you're the Rebels' only hope, after all."_

It hadn't taken him long after he left to decide that the only noteworthy place in all of Arizona was the Grand Canyon. Now he was wishing he hadn't been so disparaging. Compared with an obscenely untimely death, bingo at the Elk's Lodge sounded nice. He made a mental note to play a round or two if he survived. This seemed unlikely, as the world's sudden decision to abandon physics left him off balance. Kendall unwillingly lurched forward. _Guess this is it... _He closed his eyes and braced for impact...

...but felt only the fabric of his t-shirt constricting his windpipe as he was pulled back. Shocked and relieved, he tripped and fell onto his back. Stars floated before his eyes, mingling painfully with the sunlight beaming directly above him. This blindness lasted only momentarily, however, and was quickly replaced as a hulking shadow filled his vision.

"Are you all right?" The shadow grunted.

"Y-yeah...I'm fine. Thanks to you, I mean...I could have died, there." Kendall was surprised at how strong his voice was compared to how weak he felt.

"I noticed. Any particular reason you were thinking of falling into the Grand Canyon?"

Kendall's expression darkened. "I wasn't _planning_ on falling in...I'm just not good with heights."

The shadow laughed. It was a short sound, but clear as a bell. Kendall couldn't help but admire it. "Why, then, would you come to the Grand _freakin'_ Canyon? Let alone stand at the edge."

"I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I wanted to conquer my fear. Listen, it doesn't really matter does it? I was stupid, you helped me out. Now could you help me up? As fun as it is to lie on the ground, I'd prefer to be in a less vulnerable position."

A hand reached out and Kendall took it, using the leverage to boost himself up. Without the sun's rays blinding him, he was finally able to get a good look at his mysterious savior.

The first thing he noticed was the most obvious - it was a guy. He was tall and striking - like a model straight out of a magazine. His hair was a rich brown, cut stylishly, cascading along the slope of his head, bangs sweeping across his forehead. Broad shouldered with high cheekbones and a prominent nose. From the way his tight clothes clung to him - a white V-neck and skinny jeans that made Kendall swallow in spite of himself - it was easy to tell that he was muscular. After his initial inspection, Kendall met his newfound ally's eyes. They, like the boy's hair, were a deep brown that made Kendall weak in the knees; he just didn't understand why. The boy flashed him a dazzling smile that made Kendall melt.

"I'm James, by the way. James Diamond. And you can let go of my hand now."

Kendall realized that he was still grasping James' right hand. Laughing weakly, he retracted his own appendage. "Oops...sorry. I'm Kendall, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Kendall. Or should I call you Evil Knievel?"

"That'd just be false advertising - _he_ actually made it across."

This earned an earnest reaction from James, who threw his head back and laughed until tears streamed down his face. Kendall couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride at this.

"So, not-so-evil Knievel, do you have a way home?"

Kendall blanched. "Actually, no...I took a bus here and I have no idea how to get back."

"Don't sweat it - I'll drive you home. Unless...your mommy told you never to take a ride from a stranger?"

Kendall rolled his eyes. "I told my mother I was joining a band of vigilantes. A ride with a stranger is the least of her worries."

James grinned. "I was hoping you would say that. Come on. I parked over here." He waved indistinctly as he walked away. Kendall followed, excited to have made a friend, amused by the situation that led to their meeting, and unsure as to why he wanted so badly to touch James's hand once more.

"Holy..." Kendall breathed at the sight of James's car. He was no avid collector, but he knew that was James drove was a thing of beauty. It was a 1967 navy blue Chevy Impala with leather seats and chrome rims that shined with a luster that spoke of their detailed care. The car was enormous - almost like a boat with wheels - but it was still a thing of beauty. He reached out and stroked the car's hood, only to have his hand slapped away.

"Nobody touches my baby but me," James threatened wryly. "Now open the door - _carefully_ - and get in so we can head out."

Kendall did as he was told and was immediately assaulted by the small of leather and...body spray. When he asked about the latter James lit up.

"That's my 'Cuda ManSpray. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure, but I think it smells great all the same."

"I...I agree." Kendall refused to let him know how much the smell made him want to puke.

"You don't have to lie, you know. Everyone hates it."

"I can see why...it smells like sweat and cheap perfume." Kendall rested his hand on the arm rest between he and James.

"Oh, ha-ha. At least I didn't almost fall into the Grand Canyon."

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Got it in one."

"Jerk," said Kendall. He suddenly noticed that James's hand was beside his, mere inches away. An overwhelming desire to close this miniscule gap filled him. It took all his willpower to resist this urge, his hand twitching all the while. Kendall could swear that James's hand was doing the same.

Not only that, Kendall also wanted to ask James why he had been visitng the Grand Canyon at exactly the same time: it wasn't as if Kendall had been there too long, and the parking lot was empty when he arrived. But the rest of the ride took place in silence.

James parked the car outside Kendall's house. They exchanged phone numbers and promised to keep in touch. James drove slowly away and Kendall went inside. He slammed the door shut behind himself and took off his sneakers. A short walk later and he was in the kitchen where he found his mother with a cup of coffee and a copy of _Women's Day_. She asked how his day had been and he perfunctorily told her of his trip to the Grand Canyon and his encounter with James. Kendall tactfully left out the details of his encounter, mentioning only that they had met at an observation point. He made up a quick excuse to escape her questions and sped off to his room.

As soon as he opened the door, he threw himself on his bed and closed his eyes. So much had happened - between his near-death experience, his meeting James, and his internal questioning of his sexuality, Kendall was exhausted. Sleep came quickly and was filled with images of those deep, brown eyes...

**A/N: Craziness, huh? You probably have a bunch of questions. Just stick around and I promise they'll be answered. More than likely, any obvious holes in the plot WILL be plugged in later chapters. Remember, I LOVE to hear feedback so feel free to share that any way that you can. I appreciate any and all of it. **


	2. Transfusion

_**A/N: OH MY GOD, WHERE HAVE I BEEN?! The answer: dead. Or, at least, as close to it as any person can come without crossing over. No, I wasn't hurt or anything like that. I was just SO. BUSY. So much work, both at school and for President Obama. That's right - THAT Obama. Not directly for him, of course, but for an evironmental group advocating his reelection. I apologize for my disappearance. I know I said I wouldn't. But I'm back now (for real, I promise) and I should be updating MUCH more often.  
><strong>_

**For those who are new here...WELCOME. Please enjoy.**

_Kendall took in his surroundings: a clay-coloured landscape dotted with sand dunes and the occasional cactus, vultures circling overhead, nothing on the horizon but more sand. "I'm in a desert", he scoffed. "A week in Arizona and I can't even dream of grass anymore." He frowned. How did he know he was in a dream? He'd heard of lucid dreaming before but had never experienced it himself. Excited by the prospects of being able to control his dream, Kendall took a step forward._

Clink.

_ Startled by the sound, Kendall looked down. His feet were restrained by a thick length of chain attached to two metal cuffs around his ankles. Starting to worry, Kendall bent over to tug at the chains. As he did, he heard the awful rattling once more and discovered that his wrists were also restrained. Fear took over and suddenly he was running, running across the barren landscape to escape whatever had sent him here, like this. After a few steps, however, he lost his balance and tumbled face-first towards the ground. Fortunately, the worst the fall did was fill his mouth with sand. Unfortunately, Kendall had no desire to have a mouth full of sand. He shakily stood and spat out a mouthful of the gritty substance. Terror momentarily forgotten, inspiration struck. As he was still dreaming, why not try to manipulate his circumstances? Water. He wanted water. Cool, clear, flowing, pure, beautiful, delicious water. Eyes squeezed tight, palms clenched, toes curled, he thought of water. _

_He opened his eyes._

_And found a train barreling toward him._

_BEEEP. BEEEEP. BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP._

Kendall jerked up, jolted awake by the sound of his alarm. He shook his head, remembering the dream he'd just been in. It was so vivid, so real. But why was he chained up like that? And why was he about to be run over by a goddamn train in the middle of the desert? He'd had some weird dreams in his life, but nothing like that. Slapping his alarm off of the end table it rested on, Kendall stepped out of bed and stretched. Wincing as his joints cracked, he stepped into the bathroom and examined himself.

Light green eyes tinged with grey. Some people loved them, but he couldn't stand them. What he really loved were _brown _eyes. A deep, rich, chocolaty brown. He also hated his dirty blonde hair, pale skin, lanky frame, and the way his eyes would crinkle when he smiled. It made him look old. Being physically undesirable was bad enough; there was no need to make it worse. He'd _had_ girlfriends of course, and they were alright. They'd fawned all over him, telling him how gorgeous he was and how lucky they were to be with him. Unfortunately, their opinions meant very little to him: he was gay, after all. Why he even bothered dating girls in the first place was a mystery to him. There were quite a few gay students at his past schools, many of whom weren't at all unattractive. His mother certainly didn't care, either: he'd come out to her at fourteen, to which she'd simply responded "So?" The only reason he had was to fuel his self-driven depressive streaks.

Kendall sighed and turned away from the mirror. He quickly stripped down, turned on the shower, and stepped into its warm embrace. There was no better cure for his depression than a hot shower. Somehow, the rushing water and steam cleared his head and made everything seem better. It was a technique he'd used to calm himself since high school. Unfortunately, getting older and moving to a new place coupled with the usual pressures of starting college made his shower stress relief less effective. In fact, this particular effort was doing nothing to calm his nerves. Grumbling and complaining, Kendall cleaned himself to perfection, wrapped himself in his favourite cotton towel, and ran to his closet.

He opened the wardrobe and found very little inside. Most of his clothing would be far too warm for Arizona, and had been stashed away somewhere by his mother. Instead, he found Polo shirts in a rainbow of colours, trousers, loafers and even a pair of dress shoes. Kendall made a disgusted noise and grabbed the last remaining tee-shirt and jeans combo he had left: a simple grey shirt with some faded jeans and worn sneakers. Luckily he'd also been able to hide a beanie from his mother's "good intentions", keeping it with him during the move. Putting it over his head, he felt like he was home again. Maybe he couldn't _look_ good, but at least he could dress well (in his opinion, at least).

Outfit complete, Kendall took one last look at himself and jogged downstairs. His mother was waiting in the kitchen, cooking breakfast.

"Hi, sweetie",she called to him. "Where you headed so early?"

"I just wanted to check out the local colleges, maybe sign up."

His mother nodded approvingly. "Good for you. I'm sure you could get financial aid.

"Me too, mom. I'm gonna go ahead and leave. Mind if I borrow the car?"

"Fine by me. Just promise me that you'll be back before sundown, okay?"

Kendall rolled his eyes at his mother's worry. "Yes, mom. I promise."

With that he turned, grabbed the keys hanging by the door, and bolted out before his mother could make him promise anything else. Though he didn't want to scare her, her constant nagging got under his skin. It wasn't worth making his mother upset, though. He vowed to get her some flowers before he came home. Kendall opened the door to the shared '99 Ford Escort and tossed himself into the driver's seat. Turning the key in the ignition and the car revved to life, vibrating underneath him. It wasn't the best car, but at least it ran. He adjusted his mirror, shifted into reverse, and carefully backed onto the street.

After aligning himself properly and beginning down the road, Kendall breathed a sigh of relief: he hadn't hit anything. It took only a few more minutes of pensive self-reflection to reach Flagstaff's main highway, the bustling stretch of road lined with grocery stores and beauty salons alike. The path also acted as a social hub, with groups of teenagers clad in skinny jeans and wannabe socialite princesses alike. At the head of the road was his destination – Coconino Community College. Essentially the town's pride and joy, Coconino was a bustling hive of activity. Students streamed in and out of the many halls, coming and going, some learning and some wasting time. As he carefully navigated towards Coconino, Kendall snuck a glance at the boulevard passing by him.

Unsurprisingly, all eyes were on him. Flagstaff wasn't _small_. Not in any sense of the word. But it wasn't large enough, either, that he could blend seamlessly into the passerby. It was a feeling he'd grown used to over the years – moving from place to place, always managing to be an outsider no matter how hard he'd tried. And at first, he _had_ tried. He'd tried his damndest to make people like him, to accept him. At some point he'd just given up. Why bother trying? The results were always the same. Kendall felt a pang of sadness, deep and gut-wrenching.

Drawn into his mind as he was, he hardly noticed the car in front of him squeal to a sudden stop.

**_CRUNCH._**

Kendall was thrown forward, head lolling over the steering wheel. He heard the sound of metal on metal, a horrible screeching sound unlike anything he'd ever heard before. Then…silence. Absoloute silence. He took a moment to gather his thoughts, shocked as he was by the incident. It came to him then – he wasn't the only one involved in the accident. He needed to check on the other driver. Carefully, he opened his door and stepped out, grimacing at the broken glass that littered the street. _Great, _he thought, taking in the damage to his car. _The driver's side window is smashed to bits. How am I going to pay for this?_ Shaking his head, he looked over to the impact site.

First, he noticed that his front bumper was _ruined_. There was no way his car wasn't going to be totaled. Second, he noticed the car he'd run into – a navy blue Chevy Impala. A goddamn _Impala. How in the hell am I going to pay for this? _He thought again. _My insurance is good but not that good. _Finally, he noticed the driver that had just stepped out onto the pavement. His blood became both icy cold. Somewhere in the distance he heard sirens, but he could hardly process their significance. How could he not have recognized the car? How could he not have remembered?

In front of him stood James Diamond.

**A/N: Woo! Another chapter down. I hope you all enjoyed it, particularly since some of you might have waited a bit. Again, I apologize for all that crap. BUT I'M BACK NOW :D. **

**Thanks for reading. Feel free to rate and review!  
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	3. Destructo

**A/N: Wow, another update so soon!? Well, I felt really bad (like...really, really bad) about leaving you all for so long. So I went ahead and worked to get this out to you sooner! It may be a little rough, but I hope it makes sense and you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

In front of him stood James Diamond.

"J-James…" Kendall stuttered, "Are you okay? I mean, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit you, I just wasn't paying attention…" He looked down at his hands, fidgeting, doing anything to avoid James's gaze_. Great_, he thought. _There goes my chance with him_. Despite his disappointment, Kendall was slightly surprised – had he actually been hoping?

James stared at him for a moment, silent. Slowly, so slowly, he took a step towards Kendall. Then another. Then another. It wasn't long before James was right in front of him, their chests just inches apart. He glowered down at the smaller boy. "Do you know what this means?" James growled. "Do you understand what you've done?"

"Y-yes…I'm really sorry, though! And I'll pay for the repairs and everything, I promise! I'll –"

And James started to laugh. A hearty, deep laugh filled with delight. Despite his surprise, Kendall couldn't help but to notice the slight rumbling undertones amid the clear, melodious tones of James's laugh. Kendall's stomach did flips, and he had the sudden desire to reach out and touch him. He restrained that urge, however, satisfying himself by raising his eyes.

"Why are you laughing?" He asked meekly.

Wiping tears from his eyes, James took in a breath before saying, "Because you're funny. You're so worried about a little fender bender." He waved his hand over Kendall's car. "I mean, your car might be trashed, but that's not a big deal…it was kinda shitty anyway. Mine, on the other hand, is barely even hurt. Plus my family has the money to fix it, so it's not a problem. You have insurance, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Kendall replied, anger replacing anxiety at James's comment. "And my car wasn't shitty. It's been in my family for years."

"Whatever, dude. My baby's fine – a little buff and she'll be good as new. Your car, though…" James shook his head. "Like I said, it's trashed. And I doubt your insurance will pay for it."

"Yeah, I know. I guess I'll just call my mom and get a ride home." He flipped his cellphone open and started to dial her number.

"Wait." James reached out and took the phone, snapping it shut. "First, you still use a flip-phone?"

Kendall mumbled something about price and convenience.

James laughed again. "Alright, then. Anyway, you were heading to Cocorino, right?" Without waiting for an answer, he barreled on. "Well, it just so happens that I was too. And since your car is done…" He smirked. "I thought I might give you a ride again."

"Well…I suppose that'd be okay." Kendall could barely suppress his excitement. "Let me just take care of things here first."

Kendall sighed. "There. All done."

His mother had reacted as he'd expected – screaming at him one minute, sobbing and thanking God the next. Meanwhile, James stood by and snickered, agreeing with Kendall's mother whenever he got the chance. Kendall made a mental note to get revenge. After his mother had been calmed, the police called, and insurance companies argued with, his car was towed and everything settled. A strange feeling of nostalgic sadness had washed over him as he watched it roll away. _Goodbye, old friend._

"Finally," James huffed, cutting into Kendall's reverie. "I was tired of standing around. Though I will admit that listening to your mother _did_ ease the pain…"

"I bet it did. Especially since you decided to make me sound so irresponsible. Anyway, let's go."

Stepping carefully around the damaged fender, Kendall opened the passenger door and pulled himself into the Impala. He breathed deep and smiled – 'Cuda Man Spray again. Much as he hated to admit it, the smell was growing on him. Whether that was due to James or the brand itself was still up for debate.

James sat down beside him and started the car, revving the engine twice. "Still sounds great," he purred. "So, destructo," he began as they pulled out onto the highway, "any reason you've got a death wish?"

"Ha-ha. The thing at the Grand Canyon was an accident – I'm not suicidal or anything, I just get caught up in my thoughts." He didn't bother asking about the nickname – it was certainly fitting, and he kinda liked it.

"Oh, I see." A few moments passed, the low hum of the engine filling the silence between them. "Thinking about me?"

"What?" Kendall couldn't believe what he'd heard. Was James actually…_flirting_? He decided to test the waters. "Maybe I was," he said with a smile.

The look of pure surprise on James's face – though fleeting – gave Kendall the answer he needed. James was, for whatever reason, flirting with him. _Maybe he's just that kind of person,_ he mused. _You've met people like that before. They seem to be flirting but really they're just friendly. _He pushed the negative thoughts back, refusing to let the opportunity go. "You seem surprised, James. What's wrong? Didn't think I'd agree?"

James scoffed, composure restored. "Of course you'd agree – I'm James Diamond. How could you _not _think about me all the time? Anyway, we're here."

"Whatever you say," Kendall laughed. He knew there was something there. There had to be.

As they pulled into the spacious parking lot, Kendall took in the campus. It was fairly standard for a community college – three large buildings, side by side (appropriately named Building A, B, and C), sprawling hills of green grass, and orange coloured Acacia trees dotted across the campus. Most notable, however, was the giant, golden statue of a jackrabbit. Students gathered around it, some with their noses buried in textbooks, others deeply engaged in texting. The strangest part of the scene, however, wasn't the statue itself. Rather, it was the fact that the each student touched the golden jackrabbit's horns as they passed by.

James noticed his confusion. "I should probably explain that…students touch the horns for luck. It's a tradition here at good ol' Cocorino. In fact, the easiest way to tell if someone is new is if they _don't _touch the horns." He winked at Kendall as he turned off the engine and stepped out of the car. "Consider that an insider tip."

"Thanks, I guess." Kendall shook his head at the strange custom. "Anyway, can you take me to the registration office? Obviously I have no idea where to go."

"Sure thing, destructo. Just follow me."

At that, James set off across the parking lot. Kendall fell in line beside him, intending to reestablish the trend of their earlier conversation.

"So you're pretty popular around here, right James?"

"Yeah, sure. Why?"

"Well, you said you were always on people's minds…you a big ladies man?"

"Yeah, something like that." James laughed.

Kendall noticed something uncomfortable in James's tone. "What do you mean, 'something like that'?"

"I just didn't want to burden you with news of my romantic encounters, that's all. Gosh, destructo, it's like you're trying to find out how to get into my pants or something. Seeing as how you manage to get into trouble every time I see you I'm not sure how much I'd like that."

They stopped in front of two large double doors marked "Building B – Counseling".

James pointed at the doors. "There you go, sport. Just go down there and to the left. Look for Dr. Mitchell, he's great." He looked down at his watch. "It's about three, so he should be in. Meet me back at the car at four-thirty and I'll take you home." Smiling, he clapped Kendall on the shoulder. "Good luck, destructo. Try not to destroy the world while I'm gone."

Kendall returned the smile, heart aflutter. "I'll do my best." He turned around and went through the double doors.

Much to his surprise (and relief), the inside of Building B was much less austere than its title. Directly in front of him was a large billboard littered with flyers depicting various clubs and organizations. The walls were a simple forest green, decorated generously with motivational posters and academic platitudes. Against the walls were large, high-backed armchairs, couches, end tables and various other furniture, some occupied by students. Turning to the left, he found a long hallway with the word "Offices" above it and started in that direction. The green and brown tiled floor squeaked beneath his sneakers, the sound echoing through the spacious building.

It wasn't long before he found himself standing outside of Dr. Mitchell's office. A sign beside the door helpfully told Kendall that "Yes, the Doctor is in". He took a deep breath, turned the doorknob and stepped inside.

The first thing he noticed was the shelves of books that lined the walls of the small office. There were thousands, with subjects ranging from archaeology to zoology. A majority of the books, Kendall found, seemed to involve medicine. _I guess they don't call this guy doctor for no reason_, he thought. After scanning the walls, he turned his attention to the man reading at the mahogany writer's desk in front of him. Even the desk itself was piled high with stacks of books. Though the man was sitting, Kendall could tell he was rather short. The dark brown hair on his head was perfectly quaffed, giving an air of both professionalism and style. The man looked up from his studies and looked at Kendall. His face had a boyishly round contour, with deeply set brown eyes and thin lips. With a smile that revealed shining white teeth, the man stood and extended his hand. "Hey, there. I'm Dr. Mitchell."

Kendall followed suit, shaking the other man's hand firmly. "I'm Kendall. I'm new here…James told me to come see you."  
>Dr. Mitchell shook his head. "He would, wouldn't he? Good luck with that one. I advised him when he first came here. He's…a handful."<p>

"I couldn't agree more," Kendall agreed wistfully.

After finishing up with Dr. Mitchell, Kendall headed back outside and started towards the car. Dr. Mitchell had told him that, although the semester had already started, there were still vacancies in most classes that would allow him to join. Having no plan, Dr. Mitchell suggested that Kendall simply take some general education courses and see what career he might like to pursue. Kendall agreed, enrolling in the most basic levels of Chemistry, English, Spanish, and World History. Though he hadn't said it (and honestly had very little hope that it would happen), he had hoped that he'd be put into a class with James.

_Speaking of which, where is he?_ Kendall wondered. Checking his watch, he found that it was about four-thirty. James should have been at the car by now. After a few moments of searching, Kendall found him heading towards the car. "Where have you been?" He called. "I thought you said we were leaving at four?"

"We _were_," James called back, "but I had to explain to my professors why I wasn't in class today."

Kendall suddenly felt stupid. "Oops."

James smiled. "It's okay, destructo. Let's just get you home before mommy gets worried again."

"Yeah, yeah," Kendall said as he slipped into the car once more. "Don't remind me."

A few minutes later, as they were headed down the road, Kendall absentmindedly stretched and laid his hand on the hand rest in the middle of the two seats. Not long after, he noticed that James was driving with one hand, the other placed agonizingly close to Kendall's. _This is just like the first time we met. We barely know each other, but somehow I'm incredibly attracted to him. _As much as he wanted to close the gap and feel the warmth of James's hand around his own, he refused. _I'm not going to do anything. If James was actually flirting with me, he'll make a move._

And he did.

It was so sudden, so minor. Just two hands, skin touching skin. A happy accident, perhaps. But at the same time, it was so much more. It was fireworks and ecstasy and Christmas. Kendall could hardly believe it, could hardly believe that this boy that was so much more than he was in every way would want to hold his hand. James turned to him and smiled.

"So," Kendall started, "is this really happening? We're holding hands?"

"Yup. " James replied simply.

"Okay." Kendall closed his eyes and relaxed, enjoying the moment.

Unfortunately, it was over all too soon. It wasn't long before the car pulled up alongside the sidewalk in front of Kendall's house. James took his hand back and shifted the car into park. Kendall took of his seatbelt and turned to James. "As much as I enjoyed that, _what the hell was that?_"

James raised an eyebrow. "What? The fact that we held hands? I wanted to do it, so I took a chance. You didn't freak out, so I had to assume you were okay with it." He smiled, a genuine smile free of malice. "Besides, you made it rather obvious that you were into me."

"That obvious, huh?"

"A bit. I'm glad I got to see you again, Kendall. Especially since you haven't called me yet."

Kendall looked down. "Yeah, sorry. It's…complicated."

James placed his hand under Kendall's chin, pushing gently upward. Their eyes met, locked onto one another. Their faces came together, closer, closer, so close…

And their lips met. It was a simple kiss. Just a peck, really. But Kendall thought it perfect. The moment seemed to last forever, as if they were in their own universe.

As they pulled apart, James grinned. "Does that clear anything up?"

**A/N: :D. Thanks for reading, guys. I'll try to get more out as soon as possible. Please feel free to rate and review, as it means a LOT to me. You guys are what keep me writing after all.**


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